2011-08-28 - Disappearing Duet
Most folks go to a karaoke bar in order to spend time with friends, and maybe take a turn or two at the microphone themselves. But some folks aren't quite so predictable. Tonight, there's a young blonde woman sitting alone at one of the tables who hasn't taken a single turn at the mic all night. She sips slowly at the fruity cocktails, taps her toes and listens to the music everyone else creates. She is supportive, cheering for everyone, good and bad, without being too fake, and without coming down on those who are tone deaf and only doing this for the fun of spending time with friends. Yet she doesn't seem to have a friend of her own tonight. Wonder why she's here. Next up comes a young woman who from the sound of her voice isn't an American, she is, however, full of joie de vivre as is evident by her glowing visage and flirty manner with the mic. She gives her all, strutting about the stage with the comfort of a professional performer, and her voice is rather pleasant on the ear. She is doing a rendition of Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" and looking as if she is definitely having a ball. At the end of her song she takes a bow, and skips off the stage, waving, grinning and sending kisses at random people, before making her way towards Susan's table, looking over at the women and pointing at the chair infront of her, "this seat taken?" Susan is enthusiastically clapping for the lovely young Canadian's performance when suddenly, she's standing in front of the blonde's table, asking for a seat. Never one to turn away someone being both nice and polite, Susan waves towards the seat with a surprised smile. "Please, have a seat. That was a wonderful performance. You clearly enjoy the spotlight." She extends a hand across the table. "Susan Storm. Nice to meet you." "Thank you very much," Aurora says with a cheerful lilt to her voice as she sits down infront of Susan, "I enjoy performing arts, it's quite a thrill and lots of fun." With a glimmering smile, Aurora inclines her head in agreement, "what can I say? The spotlight agrees with me." Reaching to shake hands with Susan, "aren't you going to sing, Susan? I noticed you've been sitting here by yourself most of the night." "Me? Sing? Oh, no." Susan answers with a smile and a shake of her head, hands held up, waving off that idea. "I'm not much of a singer, or performer. I do my best to just blend right in and support others. Like you. What's your name? Or should I just call you The Voice?" "Why not? Singing is fun! You should totally try it, if you're shy I can order you a pretty good drink that's going to take care of that!" Aurora offers with a playful wink, before bursting in laughter at the suggestion she be called 'The Voice', "oh dear no! I'm not quite that arrogant, plus singing isn't really my forte. The name's Aurora, sorry for not introducing myself, figured most around this club would know me by now. Then again, you don't look like a regular." The lovely blonde shakes her head. "No, thank you. I prefer not to get drunk. That ruins my fun." Which doesn't mean she doesn't drink, but she does so in great moderation. "I admit, everyone looks like they are having great fun singing, and that's wonderful. But I wouldn't really enjoy it. I would freeze up." And probably fade out, which is why she has been avoiding it. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Aurora. That is a lovely name for so radiant a personality." The woman has a way with words, for sure. "I'm not a regular. This is my first time here." "Really? I find that drinking more often than not helps to have more fun, suit yourself though," and as if to illustrate her point of view, she takes the time to order a drink with a lewd name from the waiter, making sure to play her order off as teasingly as possible, no doubting having some fun. "Oh, got stage fright? I can help you with it if you like..." beaming at the compliment about her name, Aurora looks quite mirthful, "thanks, Susan, that's exactly the way I see it...such a bright name, so much better than say...Jeanne-Marie, ugh." Quick to change the topic, she soon asks, "so what brought you here tonight?" Susan blushes a bit at the lewd drink name and the flirting, though she doesn't say anything: it's Aurora's choice, after all. She's not hurting anyone being that way. "There's nothing anyone can really do about my stage fright. But thank you for offering." Not quite getting the comment on the name, all Susan can say is, "I think Jeanne-Marie is a pretty name too. Different, I'll grant you. But still pretty." Probably not what Aurora wants to hear, but the truth as Susan knows it. "I was going to be meeting a friend down here for dinner and going to a movie later. But she had to cancel. Something came up. I decided not to spend the night home alone, so I came here anyway." Aurora giggles as she picks on Susan's blush, "it's quite alright, I'm just playing, their fault for naming the drinks that way." Arching a brow, Aurora looks curious by the challenge, "are you sure? I'm very good," Aurora says without a shred of modesty in her voice. "Meh," Aurora sounds without adding anymore to the discussion about names, instead concluding with, "Aurora is a much better name." One needs not suggest Aurora is conceited, that part she makes clear all on her own. "Who would ever cancel on a pretty woman like you? That's pretty crazy, Susan, what does your friend do? Work for the Sentinels?" Aurora jokes. Susan chuckles softly and shakes her head. "Work for the Sentinels? No, no. Jan works for our company, same as I do. But she is the CEO, so sometimes there are business meetings and such where she is needed, and I am not. But in this case, it is something to do with her father's estate. She told me she didn't need me to come along, so she went on her own." OK. So whomever was on this 'date' is 'Jan', who is apparently female. So was it a date? Or two female friends just out to have fun together? Susan probably has no idea there would even be a question. She doesn't try to address the question of her stage fright. After all, short of mind control - ew! - what could anyone really do? Aurora laughs as Susan assures her that her friend is not a Sentinel, "that's a shame, I'd love to get to know some of them, Superman is supposed to be really hot, right? It's in the name!" Aurora receives her drink and offers it to Susan, "would you like a sip, Susan? Oh, you're friend is a rich one, huh? That's always good." While Susan may not imagine anyone might have the mind to think in such terms, Aurora is quick to point out by crossing her fingers infront of her, "this kind of friends? Or just casual friends?" Susan blushes again as Aurora starts debating the merits of someone called Superman, shaking her head when offered some of Aurora's drink. "No, thank you." She nods a bit at mention of Jan's inheritance. "Neither of us is hurting for money, no. But Jan's inheritance is an entire trust, so it requires more maintenance." All of Sue's inheritance went into paying for school and investing to start their company. A bit perplexed at Aurora's question, Susan simply explains, "Janet and I have been friends for nearly a decade. We are very close. We built a business together, we lived together while going to school. She is my best friend." Yeah. She didn't get the implication. Whoops. "Your loss," Aurora comments as she has herself a sip and doesn't shy from savoring it quite audibly, "Tony is really good in mixing these drinks, much better than Danny at the Electric Blue." Seems like Aurora is quite a frequent clubber to have this level of familiarity with staff. "Oh, very best friends, huh? Are you in the habit of tipping the velvet with one another?" Aurora becomes a bit more suggestive with her quesiton, in case Susan didn't quite get it. Susan sips at her own drink slowly, watching Aurora enjoy her own. Good for her. But Susan doesn't seem to have any urge to share that drink. She notes how comfortable Aurora seems to be with the staff, here and at other clubs, but it's not her place to judge or question. "Tipping the velvet? What?" Apparently Susan doesn't get the reference. That or she's just purposefully playing innocent. If so, she plays innocent very, very well. "Oh, well, if you're not comfortable discussing it that's quite alright, but there's no need to be shy about it. I mean, I don't normally play around with girls either," Aurora seems awfully comfortable with alot of things most would consider outside the realm of small talk, "so, how are you liking this club so far? Think you'll be coming by again?" Now Susan gets it, and blushes darkly at the implication. "I -- uh --- you --" Yeah. She's too flustered to actually come up with an intelligible response. Aurora may not be the first to wonder if Susan and Jan were 'tipping the velvet' together, but she's the first to have ever mentioned the idea to Susan, apparently. She gasps, she swallows, and she ends up taking a solid hit of what was left of her drink. When she recovers, she decides to just leave that subject matter alone. "I like the club's atmosphere. Very friendly, bright, and good acoustics. I probably will come back again, when Jan can come with me." Because being here alone does somewhat ruin some of the fun. Aurora looks very much amused at Susan's reaction, openly staring at her flustered self, laughing in amusement, "you're so cute when you're embarrassed," Aurora points out, regardless of how Susan might feel about it. "Sooo...your friend, Jan, her being rich and all, does she happen to be a member at the Hellfire Club? Because if she is, you should come by sometime and watch me perform, I'm a dancer there." Susan doesn't quite get angry at Aurora's teasing about her being cute when she's upset, but she does get a bit more flustered. She's not used to people saying that sort of thing, especially not to her face. "Janet? I honestly have no idea if she is a member of anything called the Hellfire Club. She could be, I suppose." Jan could have inherited a membership held by her father. Sue would have no way of knowing that. "I know I've never been there, and I do not recall Janet ever going there." And somehow, she's becoming quite sure she would not be comfortable watching Aurora perform, if she is paid to dance in a place like that. "Well, if you're rich, and if you matter in elite society, you'd usually be a member. If she's not that's like a total social travesty, I probably could help her get a membership, if she cared for it." Aurora seems casual enough despite the topic wavering into areas that usually are not a mundane topic of conversation. "So, what is this company that you and Janet has does?" "StormDyne Appled Sciences." Susan answers, with a smile. "We apply scientific discoveries in ways to help the world be a better place. Improved medicines. New materials. New cosmetics. We do a wide variety of things." Obviously. "Janet is also something of a fashion designer. She enjoys designing the gowns and outfits we wear when going to various functions." "Applied Sciences?" Aurora already looks bored, at least she hadn't bothered to yawn infront of Susan's face, "that doesn't...wait, cosmetics? What kind of cosmetics do you have?" And just like that Aurora is interested again, before Susan truly ensnares her interest, "a fashion designer!?" Aurora squees with delight, "when can I meet her and why does she waste her time with science?" Susan doesn't openly smirk at Aurora's reaction, but she is amused. "We have new, safer cosmetics that last longer. We have also designed cosmetics that change, either based on planned biological triggers, or based on signals from a remote. Changing colors, adopting new patterns. We're even working on doing the same for tattoos." She chuckles with amusement at the excitement about Janet's fashion design work. "I suppose you can meet her when next she's free. She isn't wasting her time with science. She uses science to make her designs even better, with new materials and inborn capabilities. Like our taser-enabled jackets." "Last longer? I'm sold..." Aurora suddenly finds a very serious need for Susan's and Janet's company, where moment ago it just sounded like a silly idea. "Cosmetics that change? What!? That is science fiction! But awesome science fiction!" Just like that, Susan got her company a brand new dedicated follower. "I never realized how important science could be, I'd love to meet her, waw...you think I could get some samples, maybe?" "I don't actually have any samples with me. But I am wearing some." Susan comments, as she reaches into her purse, pulling out her smartphone. It's an iKord, naturally. She taps it and pulls up a small app, and then as she taps and slides the coloration of Sue's makeup changes. Her lipstick shifts from the peach gloss all the way to a deep crimson red, and other shits. The blush on her cheeks becomes darker and more pronounced, and then fades away to almost nothing. Ditto with her eyeliner and her mascara. She even gets the blush on her cheeks to shift so that it displays the pattern of a valentine heart, just for fun. "I am sure you could meet Jan. Perhaps I can give you my card, adn you can call the offices and arrange a meeting? She is always eager to meet new potential clients." And if Aurora is serious about being a professional dancer at an upscale club, she might offer a /lot/ of access for their products. Aurora is utterly mesmerized as she looks at the affect touching the phone has on Susan's makeup, "that is incredible! Oh my god, I've never seen anything cooler than this!" Staring throughout the range of changes, showing the capability of this awesome makeup, Aurora squees, "I could change outfits without needing to reapply makeup, this is genius!" Nodding enthusiastically, Aurora is clearly all for it, "I'd love to have your card and call, she'd be the most brilliant person I ever met, well, I guess aside from you, Susan." It is indeed a good venture, the way Aurora is so outspoken, and how well the dancers at the Hellfire Club earn, the product is likely to get much more exposure. Susan smiles warmly, pleased that Aurora likes the product. She had thought other women would think this was great, but she hadn't quite counted on this excited a reception. She resets the makeup to the presets she had earlier, and then fetches out one of her business cards. It is a lovely shade of lavendar, with dark purple script: Dr. Susan E. Storm, MD., PhD, MS. There are two phone numbers, one indicatd as a cellphone, and there's an email address. The business address is in Brooklyn. "One of the reasons I love it is that it lasts all day without re-application, and changes as my needs through the day change, from morning to afternoon to eveningwear, business and casual. Even working out doesn't obliterate it, although it will come off in the shower unless I use the anti-water fixing spray." Yes. They came up with a spray that protects this stuff so you can take a shower and /still/ not remove it. "Oh, you're also a science person?" Aurora asks as she takes hold of the card, "lovely card by the way, I like the design." Aurora looks like she has hearts in her eyes much like in the cartoons, utterly enamored with the product. "I think you've created the most perfect product ever in the history of humanity!" While others may not quite agree, Aurora is full of appreciation, fully realizing how often she could have used it many times over, "so did that research take like decades and stuff?" Susan chuckles with amusement. "Yes, I am 'also a science person'. We both are, that's how we met and became friends." she explains. "I'm glad you like the card. That was Jan's idea as well." Two women start a company together. Sure, it's about all of the usual things. But why can't the corporate culture place appropriate emphasis on femininity? Apparently it can and does at StormDyne. "The research took about two years, once the idea occured to us. It has taken us another two years to reach production status." So four years, in total. Pretty darned fast. And if Aurora is any reasonable example, they're going to make a killing. "You could meet awesome people in science classes, who knew?" Aurora chuckles, quite surprised she has actually come to appreciate a science person, two in fact, even though she's yet to meet Janet. "I can't believe I hadn't thought about it first, not that I could ever even begin to create something like that. It's almost like magic. So is this stuff being sold already?" "We're coming to market now. We haven't had any big distribution contracts, but a few small, specialty shops have taken orders. No long term volume contracts yet, but we're hoping it's only a matter of time." Or Janet is. Susan is just happy it all works, is safe, is environmentally clean, and does what they wanted to do. Jan's the business brain who is making it turn a profit. "I'm sure we can make smaller sales, but we weren't originally after individual consumers." They're not trying to build their own stores, but to get themselves sold in stores that already have followings. "I think it's brilliant, if I wouldn't be bored out of my mind to be present in a store all day long I'd ask if you'd let me sell it for you, I do much rather wear it than sell it though," Aurora admits rather openly, "I'm sure I could find a few other girls that would love to buy from you as well. It's like the best thing ever invented, period. Well, perhaps aside from some other things I'm not going to mention by name..." Given other things Auroa has been only too happy to mention previously, Susan thinks it is likely best she asks nothing more about whatever it may be Auroa isn't mentioning now. "Well, you call the offices, and we'll arrange to sell you some for yourself, and anyone else you bring with you." Susan considers this. "And I will make you a deal: A ten percent discount on your sales for every costumer you bring in." Bring in ten, she gets her cosmetics for free. Not a bad deal. And the exposure will likely make their product a success as ew other things have managed. "Oh, I'll definitely call, thank you very much for this, Susan, you're a real hero, even if you're not a Sentinel." Aurora at this point seem to appreciate Susan and Janet a great deal more than all the Sentinels combined. When Susan makes the offer for the ten percent discount, it seems Aurora's hand is already extended to shake before Susan even finished the sentence, probably just an illusion or something, "done!" "You are quite welcome." Susan offers, smiling. And she shakes Aurora's hand. If she is taken aback by the other woman's eagerness, she does her best not to show it. This isn't a bad thing, after all. But she has made up her mind to ask Jan about whether or not she does have a membership to this Hellfire Club place or not. It has become rather interesting. "Were you going to sing again?" she wonders. "Oh I definitely feel good enough to give it a go, do you want to do a duet?" Aurora asks, already reaching to grab Susan's arm before even getting her agreement to do that duet. "What? No, wait, I ---" Susan protests, even as she is dragged bodily from the booth towards the stage. Worse yet, of course, is that just about every patron in the club is now applouding and cheering that Aurora has managed to snare the quiet woman who has watched everyone and refused every opportunity to get up and sing. In what seems like no time at all, the poor blonde is up on the stage, trapped by the stage lighting. Poor dear looks like a deer caught in headlights. "Oh God ..." Aurora is quite jovial, not really thinking that Susan might not want to go on stage, seems she was serious about helping Susan with her stage fright, except her treatment is more akin to shock therapy, as she gets up on stage while pulling Susan right along, "we'll go with an easy cute one, I Got You Babe by Sonny & Cher, you gotta know that one, right?" Once again, not even waiting for Susan's approval she selects the song and wrap a hand around Susan's shoulder, starting to sway to the music, and in being so close to Susan, kinda prompts her to move along with her. * Susan Storm rolls Willpower + 2d6 (1,1) = 9 ' Snake eyes -- automatic critical failure!' Trapped, held in place, Susan has the same urge any countless number of folks would have in this situation: she wnts the world to just open up and swallow her whole. The problem is, she has the power to make that happen, after a fashion. "What? No .... no, I don't, I --" And as Aurora starts rocking back and forth, Susan can feel the power welling up inside. She fights it, but she loses against her fear, and within a few moments Susan Storm just ... Disappears! "Oh God." comes a sotto voce comment from beside Aurora, and then the other woman pushes Aurora away as forcefully as she can manage. Invisible, she runs for the edge of the stage, intending to run away before anything /else/ can go wrong! Aurora is all but ready to really get into the song, when the gasps from the audience distract her, and as she looks aside she realizes that even though she felt her, Susan is no longer by her side. "What!?" Aurora gasps, dropping the microphone to produce quite a bit of static for everyone's ears, before suddenly being pushed, which drops her to the floor of the stage, her skirts flying upwards. "Ow!" Aurora mutters in protest, looking quite stunned, and as she can't see Susan anywhere, she's not quite sure what just happened. The song keeps playing, but the performance is easily ruined, as Aurora tries to figure out what pushed her. "Well this sucks."